The Alaska Almanac: Facts about Alaska

As a long-term resident of the Last Frontier, I enjoy having the book handy somewhere between my computer, two Greenland Huskies, and the phone. The special 30th Anniversary edition continues a long tradition of concise information about our large and very diverse state. Topics come in alphabetical order, for even quicker reference. So "Pioneers' Homes" comes just before "Pipeline," which is the mammoth Trans Alaska Oil Pipeline which runs over 800 miles from the Arctic Slope to the tankers at Valdez. You can find out all about camping and hiking opportunities. When you get hungry,there is a recipe to rustle up a bunch of Sourdough Hotcakes (Serve quickly on hot plates, especially when it is 40 below zero.) Each edition is spiced up with Alaskan humor from Mr. Whitekeys, a local commedian who could even make a Polar Bear laugh.Who else would report on a traditional Alaska duct tape sculpture contest? Entries included a duct tape bouquet of roses. Enjoy this book if you are coming our way. Even if you never get here, it will make you feel like an Alaskan at heart!

This is the 30th edition of the Alaska Almanac, a compendium of facts about the biggest state in the United States. Organized alphabetically, it covers everything from population to average temperatures to the number of fur-bearing animal species present in the state. Although not meant to serve as a tour guide to Alaska, it nicely complements the "The Milepost" as a source of information for folks with time to spend in exploring Alaska, or for new residents looking to understand how different Alaska is from the "lower 48." The text includes highlights on especially obscure facts and some interesting historical nuggets. This book is highly recommended for the visitor to Alaska and the resident, both of whom will find fun facts to know and use.

As a rural Alaskan in the Arctic, I think winter is a great time to publish the 29th edition of the Alaska Almanac. It can warm up even the coldest, darkest night with a mixture of facts about the 49th State, mixed in with biting barbs of wit from Mr.Whitekeys, a noted Alaskan humorist. As a resident of Barrow, I was especially interested in learning at that our small town holds the record for least snowfall in a year ---only three inches in 1935-36. I think I just shoveled that off of our two Husky doghouses last week. Also that Alaskans consume more ice cream than anywhere else in the country. You wouldn't believe the growing number of restaurants and stores selling all kinds of ice cream in Barrow these days --my favorite is soft chocolate waffle cones from Browers Cafe on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Meanwhile, Mr. Whitekeys notes that a certain soft drink has a national toll-free number for info and complaints, and that lots of Alaskans call during the winter --no complaints, they just want someone to talk to. This is only the tip of the iceberg, as it were. Pick up a copy of the new Almanac and get ready for a warm evening of Alaska facts and fun.

As Alaskans dig out from another winter of ice and snow, it is warming to see another edition of "The Alaska Alamanac, Facts about Alaska, with the wacky wisdom of Mr. Whitekeys." (who is a well-known club comic in Anchorage). This easy-to-read cache of the Alaskan biggest, coldest and tallest informs readers that a full five percent of the state--some 29,000 square miles, is covered by glaciers. And that "Residents of Alaska really do consume more ice cream per capita than elsewhere in the U.S., and that's year round." As a resident of the Alaskan arctic,now I know why I keep gaining weight, despite lots of lots of snow shoveling and chasing after Greenland Husky Nuna. The Almanac was started by Alaskan economist Eric McDowell back in 1976, and like the population, has grown considerably since that time. According to editor Nancy Gates, this 28th edition is about four times the original. She said it is a great reference for folks "Outside" which is how we refer to any place in the rest of the U.S. But it is also useful to residents, who often keep it right with their phone directory. I imagine it has often been used to settle some late-night argument or bet in some log-cabin bar on a bone-chilling Alaskan evening. So it's easy to think of it as a peacekeeping force on the last frontier. Pick up a copy and browse through some unique geography, history, population, celebrations, expeditions, and meet some of the characters who somehow manage to survive in this state, from the Arctic shores to the rain forests in the southeast panhandle. Or as Mr. Whitekeys reports: "A Rhode Island newspaper once described (the city of) Homer as 'The only place in the world where you can stand in mud up to your knees and still have dust blow in your face." or "Alaska is the state with the highest percentage of government employees in its workforce, and only a state with that honor could have a law on the books that reads: 'Se. 44.62.270 It is the state policy that emergencies are held to aminimum and are rarely found to exist." Enjoy!